Ventilating system for room having outside downdraft wall



c. s. STOCK 2,909,981

E DOWNDRAFT WALL Oct. 27, 1959 y mmvrox.

CHAPLESIS. s'rocK I BY ATTORNEY VENTILATING SYSTEM FOR ROOM HAVING OUTSIDE DOWNDRAFT WALL Charles S. Stock, Louisville, Ky., assign'or to American Air Filter Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1955, Serial No. 534,766

6 Claims. (CI. 93-33) The copending Hubbart application (for a patent on a Ventilating and Heating Apparatus, Serial No. 251,429, filed October 15, 1951, Patent No. 2,723,616, issued Nov. .15, 1955) discloses a heating and ventilating system for school rooms and the like in which the downdraft along the walls is drawn into a system of ducts arranged adjacent the window sill level, which ducts convey the downdraft air to a unit ventilator-heater arranged below the window level near the middle of the wall for recirculating the air. In such an arrangement, the thermostatic control may be incorporated into the unit ventilator-heater, and may be governed by a sampling air stream, in which case the thermostatic control is not directly afiected by radiant heat entering the room.

It should be pointed out that even on cold days, the combined heating effect of the sun, and the heat given off by the occupants of the room, often is suflicient to require cooling, rather than heating of the room. Under such conditions cool air is introduced by the unit ventilator-heater, and warm air must be exhausted from the room in an amount equal to the outdoor air thus introduced into the room. In said application, air is exhausted from the room through ports in the wall directly communicating with said ducts.

When a school room is used for exhibiting motion pictures, it is necessary to draw curtains over the windows to exclude light. Air currents produced by the heating and ventilating system often cause the curtain to billow out, thus allowing entrance of flashes of light which interferes with the exhibit. Also, the sun shining through the window falls on the curtain and thus creates a radiant heating panel of large area which radiates heat directly to the occupants of the room so that mere removal of warm air from the room is not enough to provide comfort for the occupants.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ventilating system for a room which reduces or eliminates the radiant heating effect of a light stop curtain drawn over the windows.

Another object is the provision of a ventilating system for a room which draws air along the curtains without billowing out the curtain, so that adventitious light is not admitted to the room.

@ tes Patent 9 a According to the present invention, 1 provide in a room heating'or ventilating system, in which the recirculating ducts are arranged immediately below the window sill level, a light impervious partition extending upwardly from the recirculating ducts, the partition being in spaced relation to the wall. The partition, which may be constructed in aligned sections, extends across the top of the heater-ventilator unit and flanking utility cabinets to provide a stop for confining the bottom edge of the curtain or drape when drawn across the window.

When the curtain is drawn, the sun shining through the window falls on the exterior curtain face and creates a radiant heating panel of large area as above noted. However, in the arrangement of the present invention the 2,9693% Patented Oct. 27, 1959 cooling of the room. This downdraft of air between the curtain and window, cools the curtain so as to eliminate the radiant heating effect. On the other hand, even if conditions require introduction of warm air into the room, the downdraft along the curtain carries the heat from the curtain into the roomby the recirculating air, which then affects the thermostatic control, only through the sampling air stream, rather than allowing the heating by radiation, which can affect the thermostatic control only after the radiant effect has been felt by the occupants. Thus, it is possible, even when the curtains are drawn, to maintain a controlled comfortable temperature in the room, and prevent billowing of the curtain by air currents.

' The invention will be described in detail in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment by way of example, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention, the drape being partly drawn;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1 taken at a different angle and diagrammatically illustrating air flow;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing certain details; and

Figure 4 illustrates a modification.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a unit heaterventilator cabinet 1 constructed and operated as described in the aforesaid Hubbart application. This cabinet is located intermediate the ends of the light admitting area 2, of the outside wall 3, and the top 4- of this cabinet is positioned slightly below the window sill 5 or sun board level. The top has grilled openings 6 therein through which tempered air is discharged into the room upwardly toward the ceiling. Rows of flanking utility cabinets 7, 7' extend from the ends of the heater-ventilator cabinet substantially the entire length of the window area, the tops 8 being flush with the top of cabinet 1, and provide between each utility cabinet and the outside wall, a duct or passageway 9. These ducts are covered by grills 11 which provide inlet communication along the lengths of the duets with the room, just below the window sill level. The ducts communicate in a suitable manner with the air inlet of cabinet 1 shown by the dotted arrows. If desired, ports 12 may be provided in wall 3 connecting the ducts 9 with the exterior, and one way dampers (not shown) prevent exterior air blowing back into the room past these dampers.

A partition 14 is attached to the top of cabinet i. As shown this partition has a flange 15 at the bottom and a finished bead 16 at the top. As illustrated, this flange isattached to the top of cabinet 1 by screws 17 passing through apertures 18 in the flange. Sections 14a and 1412. are attached to the tops of the utility cabinets in alignment with the section 14. The flanges 15 of the sections 14a, 14b may be received under the grills l1 and have slots 21' therein in alignment with holes 21, through which extend the screws 22 which normally hold the grilles in place. The junction of the sections 14, 14a may be closed by a clip 23 clamped in place by a suitable bolt passing therethrough. If desired, the end of section 14a may be closed by an angular plate 25 bolted to partition 14a, and a similar plate may be used to close the 'end of partition 14b.

The drawn curtain or drape 26 is suitably carried on drapery rods adjacent the top of the window in conventional manner, and the height of the drape is such that its lower end 27 extends below the window sill level,

substantially to the grille 11. Thus, when the drape is drawn over the window its lower end 27 is received between the wall 3 and partitions 14a and 14b, and the drape is spaced from the window.

If desired, the cabinet 1 may have an opening 24 through which a sampling air stream is drawn to affect the thermostatic controls.

' In operation when the drape is drawn, its lower end 27 is confined by partitions 14, 14a, 14b so that the drape cannot be billowed out by air currents. The suction of the inlet of the heater-ventilator cabinet draws air downwardly through the space between the drape and window and into the grilles 11. This downflow of air cools the curtain to reduce or prevent radiant action, without causing billowing of the curtain. By this arrangement, the drawing of the curtain does not interfere with proper heating or ventilating of the room.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 4, the partition section 14b has a curved section 28 at its end which allows the drape to bunch therein in open position.

While the present invention is primarily intended to provide continuously effective and highly satisfactory ventilation in a room, such as a school room, even when that room is darkened for motion picture display purposes, a broader concept of the present invention should be noted and is intended herein to be claimed. The present invention may be broadly applied to the subject matter of the aforesaid Hubbard application No. 251,429 to effect an improvement therein which does not necessarily involve the use of a room darkening curtain.

For example, the elongate partition 14 constitutes the front wall of the upwardly-open downdraft-intercepting channel which is cooperatively formed by the partition 14, the grills 11 and the adjacent portion of the outside wall 3. This elongate channel or pocket extends horizontally along the outside wall and vertically around the lower end of the room space containing the downdraft. It not only intercepts the downdraft but also serves to confine the area in which the suction effect, of the recirculating system, is exerted through the grills 11. Since the downdraft is thus directed into the channel and the suction effect is concentrated in that channel, the resulting arrangement is highly efiicient and effective in minimizing any tendency of the downdraft to spill over the partition and into the room instead of flowing into the recirculating system.

As a consequence, this system can be advantageously installed in old buildings, where the use of the room darkening curtain is not important but where the elimination of cold draft is desired. In installations of that character, the partition 14 may be, and preferably is, composed of light transmitting material such as transparent or translucent glass, plastic materials or the like.

It will be noted that the room space extending downwardly into said channel is substantially unobstructed. Where this space is to accommodate the lower end of a curtain, it should be unobstructed both in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. However, in the broader aspect of the invention, it may be obstructed in the horizontal direction, as by vertical partitions, for example, but it should not be obstructed in the vertical direction. In other words, the use of obstructions, which may increase the resistance to the down flow of the down draft through the channel, should be minimized if not entirely avoided.

I claim as my invention:

1. An air heating and ventilating apparatus for a room having a light admitting area in the upper portion of an outside wall along which a down draft of air may flow comprising an air treating cabinet adapted for disposition in abutting relation with said outside wall and below said light admitting area therein, said air treating cabinet including air inlet means, air outlet means and blower means for inducing a flow of air through said air inlet means and outwardly into said room through 4 said air outlet means, wall forming means sized to have the top thereof substantially coplanar with the top of said cabinet adapted for disposition adjacent said air treating cabinet and in predetermined spaced parallel relation to said outside wall to cooperatively form therewith an air inlet passageway disposed in gaseous communication with said air inlet means of said air treating cabinet, and vertically disposed partition means disposed on the upper surface of said wall forming means and air treating cabinet in spaced relation with said outside wall to form an upwardly open down draft receiving channel extending horizontally along said outside wall in gaseous communication with said air inlet passageway to receive said down draft and assure its entry into said air inlet passageway.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a room darkening curtain sized to be disposed in overlaying spaced relation with said light admitting area and to have its dependent end disposed adjacent the upper surfaces of said wall forming means and air treating cabinet and cooperating with said light admitting area to form a substantially coextensive vertical air passageway therebetween and wherein said partition means is sized to be positioned in abutting relation with the dependent end of said curtain and the surface thereof disposed remote from said light admitting area, whereby passage of light from said light admitting area around the dependent end of said curtain into said room is restricted and said vertical air passageway is disposed in gaseous communication with said air inlet means.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall forming means are utility cabinets having the rear wall thereof disposed in spaced relation with said outside wall.

1 4. In combination, an outside wall in a room having a light admitting area in the upper portion thereof along which a down draft of air may flow, an air treating cabinet disposed in abutting relation with said outside wall and below said light admitting area therein, said air treating cabinet including air inlet means, air outlet means and blower means for inducing a How of air through said 'air inlet means and outwardly into said room through said air outlet means, wall forming means sized to have the top thereof substantially coplanar with the top of said cabinet disposed in abutting relationship therewith and in predetermined spaced parallel relation to said outside wall to cooperatively form therewith an air inlet passageway disposed in gaseous communication with said air inlet means of said air treating cabinet and vertically disposed partition means disposed on the upper surface of said wall forming means and air treating cabinet in spaced relation with said outside wall to form an upwardly open down draft receiving channel extending horizontally along said outside walls in gaseous communication with said air inlet passageway to receive said down draft and assure its entry into said air inlet passageway.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 including a room darkening curtain sized to be disposed in overlaying spaced relation with said light admitting area and to have its dependent end disposed adjacent the upper surfaces of said wall forming means and air treating cabinet and cooperating with said light admitting area to form a substantially coextensive vertical air passageway therebetween and wherein said partition means is sized to be positioned in abutting relation with the dependent end of said curtain and the surface thereof disposed remote from said light admitting area, whereby passage of light from said light admitting area around the dependent end of said curtain into said room is restricted and said vertical air passageway is disposed in gaseous communication with said air inlet means.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wall forming means are utility cabinets having the rear wall thereof disposed in spaced relation with said outside Wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent 6 Space Oct. 22, 1935 Kitchen Mar. 18, 1941 Hubbard Nov. 15, 1955 Miller et a1 Dec. 20, 1955 

